Sales of religious games grow

Board games with Christian and other religious themes are growing in popularity, say toy market analysts.

While a Christian knockoff of the popular “Trivial Pursuit” has been selling in evangelical circles for years, some others such as “Redemption” said “Bible Man” are gaining momentum.

Lew Herndon, chairman of the board of Talicor Inc., a major manufacturer of Christian games, told the Associated Press (AP), “Our sales have grown dramatically over the years.”

In “Redemption,” one of Talicor’s items, players save lost souls under the mantle of such Bible heroes as Moses or the apostle Paul. In “Bible Man,” another Talicor offering, spiritual superheroes are commissioned to overcome evil with good.

For Jews, Jewish Educational Toys produces “Kosherland” and “Torah Slides and Ladders.”

Explaining the appeal of the games, an employee of Little Israel, a company in Sunrise, Fla., that sells Jewish products, told AP, “It’s Jewish, as opposed to a game like ‘Monopoly’ that has nothing to do with being Jewish.”

“A lot of Christians are not really happy with the message coming across TV … to their children,” Herndon told AP.

“They want to provide good, wholesome products for their children.”

(EP)